Finding Balance

I've had shorter gym workouts the past couple of mornings that have allowed me to get into work earlier. It's been nice getting to work earlier and getting my workday off to an earlier start, but I'm missing the accomplishment of a full hour's workout to start my day. I've been a little tired since an extra busy Monday, so I need to make sure I get enough rest as well. It's a big balancing act, and I'm still searching for the best way.

High School Reunion

I went to my 25th high school reunion at St. Mary's in Raleigh on Saturday. There were about a dozen from my class there, and it was fun to see them and walk around campus. I wish more had shown up, but it was great to see the ones who were there. Since then, it's had me reflecting on where I've been, where I'm heading, and where I want to go.

A New Spiritual Practice

I've been thinking about ways to cultivate my spirituality as I find my way at ERUUF and in life in general, and a new spiritual practice fell into my lap about a month ago. As I've menioned before, I got an iPod for my last birthday, and I few weeks back I discovered a number of sermons from Duke Chapel on Yahoo Podcasts. I've enjoyed listening to the sermons by a variety of preachers (one of the nice things about Duke Chapel), and several of them have really spoken to me, given me some things to thing about. Today I found some sermons from the First Unitarian Society of Madison, the largest Unitarian-Universalist congregation in the US, on iTunes, so I loaded them, but haven't had time to listen to them yet.

I've found that listening to the sermons during my exercise routine can be an interesting spiritual exercise (depending on the sermon, of course!). Whether I'm on the elliptical machine or out walking, listening to the words is better than television, and the length (about 20 minutes on average) is just about right for my attention span, then I'm ready for some music or another podcast. But for those 20 minutes, I often become a little more in tune with my inner self, all while working on my outer self. It's an interesting feeling, for sure! It's a way to get fed spiritually, though, as I'm changing my physical eating habits. This is already helping me on my spiritual path

Duke news

The remaining allegations against the former Duke lacrosse players were dropped yesterday...at least that's when the news broke. I'm relieved that the main issues have been resolved, but damage has already been done. The boys' lives have certainly been changed forever, that's for sure. Allegations aside, I do think they used poor judgement by having the party with the underage drinking and the stripper, and the repurcussions of their actions have had ripple effects across the university as well as the city. I hope some good things come from this in the long run.

The news trucks are back on campus, though not as many as this time last year, and just in time for Reunion Weekend (again). Speaking of which, I hope to see cousin Cynthia sometime over the course of the next week.

George and I

Last Sunday, Lee, an acquaintance at ERUUF (church), took my picture to put with the other pictures of new Pastoral Listeners. George was with me, so she took a picture of the two of us. This one was my favorite!

Weekend Adventures

Saturday, George and I went apartment-hunting all over Durham on Saturday. We haven't made a decision yet, still trying to hash it out. One of my projects for the week is to make a chart and fill in info about each apartment to help with the decision-making.

I'll be happier when we can do this about buying a home.

Yesterday we went to ERUUF for Easter. It wasn't quite like the Easter services I grew up with and miss, but I did join the choir for singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" as the choral postlude. That was an uplifting experience for me!

More cleaning

This weekend I did more cleaning and purging as I think about this summer's move. It's a great feeling to clear things out, and in the mean time it's a walk down Memory Lane. Yesterday I came across a bunch of pictures that need to do in photo albums at some point, pictures that included my years of teaching 1st and 2nd grades, my cross country trip with Lisa, Mom, Laura, and Emily, trips that my friend Donna and I took to Wilmington and Savannah, beach trips to Pine Knoll Shores with my family, my friend Anne's wedding in High Point, a trip to Maine for my cousin Christina's wedding, and a trip George and I made to the North Carolina mountains. It was a lot of fun to look through all those photographs, eventhough it slowed down my cleaning a little!

Blog name change

I've decided to update the title of my blog, partly on a whim (is that a good idea?!)! One of the new tunes I've added to my iPod is "The Time of Your Life," sung by Randy Newman, from the movie "A Bug's Life." It's a charming song for a cute movie, and the song's chorus is sort of a new mantra for me, a reminder to continue on my path to treat my body and soul better, to remember that anything worth doing is worth doing well, and to continue to connect with friends and family.

It's the time of your life
So live it well
It's the time of your life
So live it well
We may only go 'round one time
As far as I can tell
It's the time of your life
It's the time of your life
It's the time of your life
So live it well

Date Night

George and I had an inpromptu date night last night, went to see the movie "Premonition," with Sandra Bullock. Reviews were mediorce, but it was a decent movie to see on a Thursday night. There were only 6 people (including us) in the movie theater, so it was relaxing and kinda nice, almost felt like a private showing. Mainly, it was nice to have a night out with George. We've just been so busy lately!

Beautiful Weekend!

It's been a beautiful weekend, weather-wise, here in Durham. The temperatures have been mild, the humidity relatively low. Ahhh! I think I'll open up my windows this evening--why has it taken me all weekend to think of that?!

George and I participated in the community walk portion of the Great Human Race 5K in Durham yesterday. It was nice to get out and walk together outside in the great weather yesterday. I was glad I decided not to run the 5K, just wasn't ready after last weekend's breakthrough (for me) run in Raleigh.

This morning at ERUUF, the new class of us Pastoral Listeners was installed. I'm looking forward to being part of that program. I've gotten to know a number of people better already through it.

After my Sunday afternoon nap, I started working on cleaning out my dresser drawers. Feels good to be making progress on clearing out and getting better organized.

Run for the Oaks 5K

The Run for the Oaks 5K road race in Raleigh was a surprising success for me, as I was able to run (ok, jog!) the whole thing--and felt fairly strong at the end, to boot! I was excited to break 50 minutes as well, which has been a goal of mine for several months now. Finally completing a 5K race at a jog has opened my eyes to the possibilities of doing 10Ks and beyond again. It's been a dream of mine to run a marathon, but now it seems to be a little more of a reality. :-)

I'm still waiting for the chip results to be posted at runnc.com, but best I could tell, I finished in about 46 and a half minutes!

ADDENDUM: My chip time was 46 minutes, 30 seconds! Yay!

My Apartment

It dawned on me over the weekend that part of my stress about moving this summer is that I haven't spent the time I need to to get my apartment cleaner and more organized. Part of the stress, too, is that moving will fall at the end of the fiscal year at work! Yikes! But there are many things I can do now to get ready for moving AND the end of the fiscal year, SOOOO time to get going! I made good progress on my apartment yesterday afternoon, which felt good. The I met George at the laundromat to visit for a bit while he did his laundry, and we ended up meeting anc chatting with a nice couple. That was a pleasant surprise. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday!

Getting involved

Last night was my last training class for Pastoral Listening at ERUUF. It was a good session, and I was a little sad to see the training come to an end. On the other hand, I'm excited about this new way to be involved at church.

The Run for the Oaks 5K is coming around on Saturday. I'm excited about that, and hope my finish time is faster than my last 5K in December. Actually, I'm hoping to break 50 minutes.

What's By My Bed

I picked up The Devil in the White City (by Erik Larson) recently at Barnes and Noble as a reward to myself gor hitting a particular weight loss goal, and though I'm not very far into it, it's an intriguing read, one of the best books I've picked up in a while. It's about the creation of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the architects who planned and built it, and a serial killer who's working his destruction in Chicago at the same time. It's all quite interesting, and it makes me want to go back to Chicago for a visit!

Weekend Update

I had a pretty busy Saturday, which included going to the H&R Block in Cary and using the lady George goes to to do my taxes. When I did this year's federal taxes on my own, I came out owing $1200+! Yikes! When she did them, I only owed about $50 federal and about $25 for state taxes. No fancy deductions or anything were added, I just did the math wrong. That's a load off!

After that appointment, we went to visit George's parents, grandparents, and brother and sister-in-law. His mom wasn't home, but we got to see everyone else at their respective homes. It was good to see everyone. George came with me to supper at the Rice House afterward. We were pretty pooped after all that, so we stayed in Saturday night.

Saturday morning I got up early as usual and went to the cross country trail through the woods and around the Duke golf course. It felt great to be outside in the fresh air for exercise.

Yesterday was a little strange with Daylight Saving Time going into effect several weeks early. We made it to church at ERUUF okay, but the rest of the day was spent taking it easy. I watched part of the ACC basketball finals between UNC and NC State, but fell asleep for a good nap. I did a little cleaning, but otherwise just puttered around and took it easy. I didn't even make it to the gym. It was very refreshing to have some down time!

Another week down

It's been a busy week on this end, with something going on every night. Three nights this week I got home around 10 PM after leaving home around 8 AM for good. (This after getting up at 5:00 to go work out, then back home to get ready for work and the Rice House!) The pace has been a little troubling to me on a number of levels. I'm tired and feeling a little burned out, and I haven't been able to accomplish verymany things on the homefront lately.

I hope the weekend brings some rest and healing of body and spirits, as well as some time to get things done and feel more accomplished at home.

Bar Mitzvah Trip

George and I had a good trip to Atlanta this weekend for Jake's Bar Mitzvah. It was a jam-packed weekend of time with his family, all a good time. The food was good, but I was careful and actually lost a tenth of a pound. It felt great to get away for a change of scenery and routine, but it wasn't the relaxing weekend that George and I are used to when we get away. The intovert in me missed the time to recharge at some point over the course of the weekend, so I was relieved on some level to get home.

The hotel we stayed in was very nice, and had the best gym set-up I've ever seen. The cardio equipment had screens big enough to show live feeds of various TV channels, and head sets were provided. The equipment was clean, to boot. They provided both regular towels and face towels on ice, which felt heavenly on my face in the steam room. The locker rooms had neat amenities as well, all sorts of lotions, soap gels, shampoo & conditioner, deodorant, Q-tips, mouthwash, hair dryer, both sauna and steam room. It felt like a luxurious treat!

George's mom paid for our rooms so that we could stay in the same (nice!) hotel with most of the festivities, and that helped a lot. It was really nice of her.

I would love to return to Atlanta and see the Georgia Aquarium sometime.

Grad school

It's time to start getting serious about grad school, I think! I'm not getting any younger, and would love to graduate in time for the degree to help my professional future!

I'm thinking about a masters in library science from either North Carolina Central or the University of North Carolina. UNC has the better reputation, but NC Central's program caters more to working folks, offering many classes at night or on the weekend. Both programs are accredited, and that's really important!

I need to get back to studying for the GRE, and quick like! I have a study guide at home, perhaps a project to begin this weekend.

House cleaning

It's amazing what getting ready for a trip reveals to me about my apartment! George and I are heading to Atlanta this weekend for the Bar Mitzvah of one of his cousins. Last night I got my suitcase out and started going through my closets and drawers, planning what to wear and seeing what I need to take to the cleaners or wash myself, that sort of thing. I really need to clean out my closets! And my drawers! Wow! There's so much I can give or throw away now! I hope my place will be transformed in the next couple of weeks.

I'm getting myself psyched up for the trip, food-wise. I'll be taking my Rice Diet food with me. And I need to remember that at all the social functions, food does not equal fun!

Weekend update

Saturday afternoon, George and I went on a walk around the cross country trail, led by a lady at our church. It was part of a fundraising auction at our church, and this was something George bid on for the both of us. It was a beautiful afternoon for the three-mile walk, and it was a treat to get outside and meet some fellow church members.

Saturday night we went to the Starlite Drive-in to see "Ghost Rider." The movie was okay, normally not my kind of movie, but kinda fun to see at the drive-in!

Yesterday I took it easy, and watched a portion of two Duke basketball games on TV, which was relaxing and fun (especially since Duke won both of them!). The women's team is undefeated, which is quite an accomplishment.

Sense of Community

I've been thinking a lot lately about community, and how I fit into different communities. It's more about just fitting in here in Durham, but in different areas of my life as well.

Some things, like my church, Eno River Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, have been pretty easy to become a part of. There are many opportunities to get involved, and the people there are open and friendly. Other things, like my Junior League group, have been a little harder for me to break into. I have some acquaintances, but no one I talk to outside of meetings. Every meeting or event I go to, I try to meet someone new, or talk with someone I've met a little more.

I'm still a Mary Kay consultant, though I haven't done much with it lately. I love the makeup and skin care, so I plan to keep up with it so when I'm ready to become more involved with it, it will be there. I do miss going to the weekly meetings, but the adopted director's meeting I attend is a good 20 minute drive each way, in addition to the two-hour meeting on a weeknight, so that's something to consider.

I'm also the moderator for a Yahoo Group called Triangle Friends, which is a "job" I inherited about 4.5 years ago, when the previous moderator bowed out and appointed me. It become a group of one (me!) and is now 600+ members strong. The activity on the group board has dwindled, and it's been close to a year since I've had time to organize any events. Attendance had been a little spotty, but I have met some interesting people along the way through this group. I've been trying to decide how much time and energy I want to spend on it. It would be nice to get it going again, I think.

Of course, there's my work at Duke, which I enjoy, and I'm feeling more and more a part of the community there. Our department will be moving next year, and I was glad to be put on the worklife committee for that move, since I am concerned about things like community.

What's newsworthy?

It dawned on me this morning, as I listened to the morning news on the TV while walking around the apartment getting ready for work, that I'm kinda sucked into the whole Anna Nicole Smith story, sensational as it is. Oddly enough, I didn't follow her in life, and would often roll my eyes when her name came up in conversation around me. Now I find her life and death both sad and intriguing.

I think that part of my fascination with this story as it's played out on the news lately is that it's a change of pace from the war in Iraq.

Not the only news story to pique my interest, though, I've also been following the Presidential race as it's playing out early on. The fact that a woman (Hillary Clinton) and an African-American (Barack Obama) are in the running for the Democratic ticket fascinates me, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out!

Weekend update

George and I had a busy weekend at church, going to the annual fundraiser auction on Saturday night (which was a lot of fun!), then going to the Sunday morning service followed by a congregational meeting. I got my lunch to go from the Rice House, and George and I ate together in between the service and the meeting. I chose puffed wheat instead of my usual rice concoction, and found it to be pretty tasty, especially mixed with the fruit. (I had manadarin orange slices and tropical fruit salad, also from the Rice House.)

Afterward, we went to check out another apartment complex. We were a little worn out from the previous week and weekend activities, so we weren't particularly impressed with this particular apartment. Part of it for me was that it hadn't been cleaned, so there was still mildew in the bathroom, stuff on the carpet, and a general dinginess in the kitchen. Perhaps we'll give it another try later on.

Preparing for another 5K

I signed up for another 5K road race yesterday, the Run for the Oaks, on March 17 in Raleigh. I'm excited about having this (running a 5K) as a goal again. I hope to improve my own time over the last 5K in December. Maybe I'll break 50 minutes this time!

Valentine's Day

George and I had a nice Valentine's Day last night. He took me out to eat at Rockfish Seafood Grill. I had salmon, veggies, and rice, and it was yummy. :-) Although I'm still on the Rice Diet, it was nice to have a change of scenery and pace, to get away from the Rice House for a night. George and I rarely get to eat together these days, with my eating at the Rice House, so it was a treat to get to sit and talk over dinner.

Books Beside My Bed at the Moment

I've recently started reading two new (for me) books, The New Psycho-Cybernetics, by Maxwell Maltz & Dan Kennedy (editor), and Lost in a Good Book, by Jasper Fford.

The first, The New Psycho-Cybernetics, is a self-help book that I first heard about over 20 years ago, before it was newly revised. The tennis coach at my high school had her team read it, and they were quite good. I looked up to her, to boot. Since I'm on this not-so-new-anymore diet and exercise program, I thought this would be a great time to finally read it, so I had it on my Amazon Wishlist and received it for Christmas. I've just read what Wikipedia has to say about Psycho-Cybernetics. Here's the website for Psycho-Cybernetics, too.

The fiction book, Lost in a Good Book, is a mystery/fantasy type book that's the second in the series. I finished the first book of the series, The Eyre Affair, last week, and enjoyed it alot, so I decided I wanted to read more by Jasper Fforde.

Successful diet weekend

George and I had fun at our social engagements over the weekend, and I survived the munchie temptations with a weight loss for the weekend! For a further reward, Dr. Neelon stopped by my breakfast table yesterday and told me to stop taking the metformin and see how my numbers are. They've been really good lately, so the hope is that they'll continue to stay stable. Need to stick with the diet and exercise routine.

Party Weekend (while dieting)

George and I have been invited to 3 parties this weekend, one on each of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This is a little unusual for us, but it makes for a fun and interesting weekend. Last night we went to a gathering of ERUUF folks. Tonight a friend of ours is hosting a games party, and tomorrow she's invited a group over to watch the Super Bowl.

It's fun to visit with old friends and acquaintances and meet new people, but partying has taken a new turn for me since I started the Rice Diet. It gotten me to try to think less about the food and more about the people. Last night was the first party I can think of where I didn't have a thing to eat! Everything looked and smelled wonderful, but when George and I left the party, I was glad I didn't have anything. I would've regretted eating afterward, though I would've have enjoyed it at the moment. I think I did more talking than I would have otherwise, though it was interesting not being able to talk about the food last night. One guest did ask if I was going to eat anything, and I just said, "No, I'm fine!" She shrugged and left it at that.

I feel a stronger resolve for tonight and tomorrow, after surviving last night's party. Plus, I'm sooo close to my next big weight loss goal!

Rituals

Last night at our ERUUF Covenant Group meeting, we had an interesting discussion about rituals. I've missed some of the Christian church rituals I grew up with since attending ERUUF, but I've come to realize that rituals and traditions can take time to sink in and become part of me.

George and I used to have some rituals: listening to "A Prairie Home Companion" on NPR, watching "M*A*S*H" together on Saturday mornings and "ER" on Thursday nights. As he pointed out in last night's group discussion, we don't have those rituals anymore as life has gotten busier. I hope we can find some new rituals in time.

Weekend

George and I had a busy, but fun weekend. Saturday and Sunday we looked at some apartment complexes together, which was fun for both of us. We're both looking to move in June/July. Saturday night and Sunday morning we attended ERUUF events that made us feel like we got our culture for the weekend! One was an event called Cafe ERUUF, at which members volunteer (ahead of time) to share a talent with the audience. Acts ranged from singing to piano and guitar playing to storytelling and poetry reading. It was delightful, and I wish we'd been attending those all along. (Cafe ERUUF happens every couple of months or so.) Sunday after church one of the ministers showed pictures of her recent visit to the Republic of Georgia. It was fascinating to hear her stories!

New car

I picked up a "new" car Friday night at the local Honda dealership, another 2001 Honda Accord LX, like the picture. It feels like home, being back in another '01 Accord, same trim level, too! It does have side impact air bags and alloy wheels, which my other '01 Accord didn't have, but otherwise, it's pretty much the same car., just a different color and a few more miles. It seems to have been well maintained, for which I'm thankful!

R.I.P.

I went by the body shop to clear out my totaled car yesterday. It was a relief to get my belongings (nothing valuable, but still...), but sad too. It served me well, and I was looking forward to driving the car for a long time.

I got the check from the insurance company today, and it looks like I'll have another Accord this evening. I drove another 2001 model at the local Honda dealership last night, and it felt like home.

Car Update

I found out yesterday that my car is totaled. I'm a little sad, but also a little relieved, since I'll be able to get a new car faster than my old car could've been fixed. I'm still waiting to hear back from the insurance company about how much I'll get for my car. Hopefully I'll get word today and be able to start car shopping tonight after work. I'd like to get another Accord, or something similar.

Another book I'm reading

In addition to the personal finance book, Start Late, Finish, Rich, mentioned in an earlier post, I'm also reading a fiction book, The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde. It's a delightful book--a combination of mystery, sci fi/fantasy, and history. The protagonist in this first book of the series (set in England) is named Thursday Next, a Special Operative in literary detection. Other character names in the book are similarly querky. :) I look forward to finishing this book and continuing the series.

Catching up on the holidays

I realized after my New Year's Resolutions post that I hadn't updated here on holiday goings on.

As I mentioned earlier, I stayed here in Durham for Christmas to stick with the Rice Diet. On December 23, I was in a car accident! Eventhough no one was hurt, my car was badly damaged, as was my ego. (The wreck was my fault.) My Accord is at the body shop, and as of Friday afternoon, they were still working on an estimate. They're closed on Saturdays, and of course yesterday was New Year's Day. I'm hoping to hear something soon, today or tomorrow.

On Christmas Eve morning, George went with me to Duke Chapel. It was beautifully decorated, and I really enjoyed the service. That evening, George and I attended two services at our church, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The earlier one, billed as a family service, was based loosely on Chris Van Allsburg's book, The Polar Express. The later service was more of a carol-singing service, with "Silent Night" by candlelight at the end. It was great for my spirits. Christmas Day morning, we went to St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Durham for the Holy Eucharist. It was a small turnout, but it felt good to go and have communion and reconnect on that level. It made me miss the rituals in the Christian church, and has me wondering how I can find a balance. I do enjoy going to Eno River UUF a lot.

George went with me to the Rice House for lunch on Monday. It was nice to have him to eat Christmas lunch with, eventhough the lunch was unusual by most Christmas meal standards, and I missed the rest of my family.

George is Jewish, by the way, so he was a great sport with all the church services. He considers himself a Unitarian-Universalist now, so he took it all in stride.

On New Year's Eve, we went to Mike and Suttee's house again to play cards. It was a lot of fun to catch up with everyone. Suttee and Mike hadn't seen me since the hospital, and everyone else I hadn't seen since at least last New Year's Eve! They ordered pizza from Papa John's, but I ate my Rice Diet supper before we left and took a raw veggie tray with me.

Yesterday, on New Year's Day, we went to an open house thrown by George's uncle and aunt, Howard and Nettie, and some long-time friends of theirs in Raleigh. It was good to see George's family there and meet some new people. I nearly wiped out the raw vegetable tray there!

New Year's Resolutions

I'm working on my list on New Year's Resolutions, and the big one this year (aside from continuing on the Rice Diet) will be to improve my finances. This is a big stepping stone to other goals in my life, like moving to a better apartment and eventually owning a home, being able to travel more, and being prepared for a wonderful retirement!

To help me along, I've picked up thhe book, Start Late, Finish Rich, by David Bach, again. I started it a year ago, and got just a few pages into it. With everything going on this year, I'm probably not in much better financial shape than I was a year ago, because I haven't given it much attention. I've been coasting along, by and large, just taking care of basics and not thinking much about the future, financially. I did increase my automatic contribution to my retirement account earlier in 2006, but otherwise I just let it sit. Am I investing wisely for retirement? How much do I want to save for my first home? What's my credit score? Lots of things to decide. I'll start my balancing my checkbook today and work on a gameplan!

Christmas

Talked with Mom last night, and we decided it would probably be best if I stayed here for Christmas, since it would be such a long drive for such a short visit. I'm still on the Rice Diet, so I'll have Christmas dinner at the Rice House. I'm glad to be staying the course on my diet, but a little sad about not seeing Mom and Dad for Christmas. I will spend more time with George, who has agreed to join me for the Rice House Christmas dinner and church festivities.

Update

I ran in the Reindeer Romp 5K in Cary, NC, yesterday. Although I didn't improve my time like I'd hoped, I finished in about 52 minutes, not bad for me. It was a fun race, and my buddy Stephanie ran with me, which made it even more fun! It was a beautiful morning, to boot.

My niece, Laura, found out on Thursday that she got into Duke! I'm so excited for her! Looking forward to seeing her more, too.

Fun weekend

George and I had a wonderful day on Saturday, celebrating my birthday a little late. We started out at Doc Green's, a gourmet salad restaurant near Southpoint Mall, for lunch. After some window shopping at Lane Bryant and Omega Sports, I went to a nearby nail salon for a manicure and pedicure while George went next door to get his hair cut. George came back to visit with me while my nails were being done, and surprised me by paying for my spa-like treatment! Later, we went over to Southpoint Mall and had dinner at Firebirds Rocky Mountain Grill, where I had a yummy salmon dish cooked to order (the Rice Diet way). Afterward, we went to see the movie, "The Holiday," which was right cute!

It was a movie weekend, as we went to see the Borat movie Friday night. It was hilarious in spots, just crude in others! I'm glad we went to see it, though, as I'd been curious about it.

Yesterday, we joined George's brother and sister-in-law, as well as his mother, at the North Carolina Museum of Art, to celebrate my birthday too. :) We went to see the Monet in Normandy exhibit, which was wonderful! Afterward, I'd missed the lunch hours at the Rice House, so George's mom took us to lunch at the Applebee's in Raleigh, where I was able to get a salmon dish cooked to order again. I've come to love salmon!

Another 5K

I've signed up for another 5K road race, this one in Cary on December 16. It's called the New Balance Reindeer Romp, proceed of which will go to Girls on the Run of the Triangle. Since I'm up to 75 minutes on the elliptical, I'm hoping my endurance is better, and I know I'm a little lighter. I'm excited at the possiblity of improving my time.

Last weekend

George and I spent some extra time at our church, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (which we call ERUUF for short), last weekend, as our new lead minister was installed. It was interesting to be a part of the celebration, which included a number of guest speakers. I was especially impressed by one lady in particular, Ginnie Courter, who is the current moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association. She was very well spoken, energetic, funny, and sharp. I would love to have someone like her for a mentor.

We went to a panel discussion of 4 people on Saturday night on Unitarian Universalism Today and Tomorrow. The panel included not only the lady mentioned above, but the last lead minister of ERUUF as well. It was nice to meet him. The installation service was Sunday afternoon, followed by a reception. The food looked great, but I stuck to fresh fruit, which was tasty too.

Birthday

I had a really nice birthday, especially considering it was a Monday, and dinner was at the Rice House. I had a good visit with Mom and Dad, who brought cards and a couple of presents when they met me at the Rice House. Mom had already taken me clothes shopping a few days ago, when I got several cute items in the next size smaller!

Lisa and Craig sent a new iPod my way via Mom and Dad (who went to San Fransisco for Thanksgiving)! It's red and cute as a button! Craig and Marion loaded some songs on there already, over 1700! A lot of the music is right on, and some of it I've never heard before!

Tis the Season

I pulled down my Christmas card boxes this morning before I left for work, and put them on my breakfast table. I'm excited about doing Christmas cards this year, for some reason! I feel this need to reconnect with folks.

Meanwhile, today is my birthday. My parents are meeting me at the Rice House for dinner. I miss being taken out for my birthday, but it's not about the food, right?

Today I brought some dip and crackers (along with cute little Christmas plates) into work for everyone. Folks seem to like it. I just felt like helping folks cheer up on a cold Monday morning. Okay, so maybe a little bit of it was throwing myself a birthday party, without people knowing it's my birthday! A little strange, perhaps.

My old pal Angela called and left me a Happy Birthday message this morning! I can't wait to call her back later!

Weightloss Milestone

At check-in this morning, I lost 2.1 pounds and a total of 50.2 pounds since I started the Rice Diet! Woohoo! The past couple of weeks on the scales have been a little strange, so I'm glad to have made some good progress at last.

Cravings-Hotdogs

Recently, I saw a TV show about a hotdog restaurant (shaped like a hotdog!) in rural Colorado that has quite a reputation in the area. I think the show was on the Travel Channel, but may have been on the Food Network channel. Anyway, hotdogs are one thing I miss, being on the Rice Diet. They're meat, for starters, and the Rice Diet is a vegan diet. And then there's the sodium issue; hotdogs have lots of sodium!

The show got me thinking about some favorite hotdog places in my past. The first one that comes to mind is the Varsity in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, known for their orange drinks as well as the hotdogs! My favorites were the chili cheese dog and a frosted orange. I also remember all the TV screens, and being impressed that the employees could remember (sometimes complicated) customer orders to shout to their co-workers assembling the dogs.

The other favorite hot dog joint is a place called Yum Yum's, in the College Hill district of Greensboro, NC, near the UNC-G campus. Pretty unassuming on the outside, the hotdogs inside are good and inexpensive, and their ice cream is also yummy! (My favorite flavor was lemon custard.) I enjoyed grabbing a bite there while on campus.

Postcrossing

I checked my email today and learned that my first Postcrossing postcard sent has arrived in Germany! Pretty neat! Postcrossing is a worldwide postcard exchange coordinated on a website. It appealed to my love of travel and the penpals I used to have as a kid. Seems like a fun idea.

Back to work

I'm back at work today, with much to do! I guess that's the price I pay for being on vacation for a few days!

Thanksgiving Day was good. George joined me for lunch at the Rice House, then we went to visit his family in Cary.

Saturday, we went to the Duke-UNC football game, which Duke lost by 1 point! The final score, 45-44.

I tried some different approaches to exercise while on vacation, mostly walking in different locations. It was refreshing to get outside later in the week and get a change of scenery while exercising. I enjoyed being back in the gym this morning at my usual time, and that let me know that the change of routine was good for me.

Ahhh, Vacation

It's a great feeling to be on Day #2 of vacation at home. I'm still getting things done around the apartment, but am enjoying a different schedule. My car is fixed now (big relief), and I've done some cleaning. Tomorow I may do some shopping. Taking it easy, though. Will continue to get my exercise in, hopefully a little extra. It's such a relief to be able to take it easy for a bit.

The only downside is that George is sick. :-(

Vacation Day

I'm off work today, but was up at my usual time to get ready to take my car to the dealership for repair. It turned out to be a faulty tumbler in the ignition. (My key was stuck in the ignition, couldn't get it out.) I was out around 10 AM, $160 poorer. Could've been worse, but could've been better.

George is also off today, but he's sick. :-( Hope he's all better soon!

It's going to be a cool and cloudy few days ahead, but I do have several books I've been wanting to finish. Looking forward to lots of R & R this week.

Fun party

George and I had a fun party last night, with 5 guests in all--a nice size for my apartment. Amy, Steph, Melissa, Mitch, and his finacee Katherine were there. (I'd never met Katherine, so it was nice to meet her.) We played a couple of games, Imaginiff and Scrabble. Imaginiff was a new game for me, and a fun one.

I tried three new recipes for the party, a salsa with interesting ingredients (including black-eyed peas), vegetarian chili, and an easy pimento cheese (few ingredients and easy to spiff up). I also got a veggie tray, and George got fruit, Ruby Tuesday sampler plates, nuts, chocolate, and drinks. It turned out to be quite a spread, with a good bit left over. I was glad we had enough food, though!

Getting more social

George and I decided to try to organize a games night/afternoon this weekend at my place, so here's great motivation to get my place in order. I'm also thinking about what kind of food to serve, being on the Rice Diet! At least this way I have some control over the food and can make sure there's something I can eat. I'll do a veggie tray for sure, maybe cook some (veggie) chili. Sweets, dunno. (Maybe fruit?) Chips, dunno. Drinks--sodas, alcohol? Maybe some wine. I want to keep it low key and not about the food, but I want to be a good hostess as well!

At any rate, I'm looking forward to having some people over and being a host/hostess along with George! I think it'll be fun!

Working on my apartment

Lately, I've been wanting to make my apartment a more comfortable place to be, both for myself and for entertaining. What I'm mainly working on now is cleaning and decluttering. Since time is short these days, especially with the Rice Diet and the extra exercise time, I'm doing what I can, knowing that every little bit helps. Sometimes, before I start, I try to look at my place through different eyes, try to get a different perspective.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Well, I definitely feel better than I did yesterday afternoon! I was getting a little down, then had an odd experience at the Rice House. But after talking with George some and relaxing a bit at home, I felt better!

I've had a good weight loss week on the Rice Diet, and that's been encouraging! I've lost 46 lbs so far, and still going strong.

Where is my life going?

I find myself getting more and more pensive about where my life is going, where I want my life to go, who I want to be. Some of my thoughts about it all make me happy and hopeful, while others make me feel a little sad. Making changes in my life can be both invigorating and scary, exciting and sad. What should I do?

Weekend

Had a pretty busy weekend, but a pretty good one. Saturday, George and I went to visit Papa and Bubby, and ended up having dinner with them. (Bubby cooked yummy salmon!) We dropped by to see Tina and Barry before going home.

Last night, I went to the Duke-Columbia basketball game, Duke's first of the season. They played well, and won pretty handily. It was fun to see the young Duke team in action!

I may some progress on cleaning my place, but didn't get as much reading done as I'd hoped.

Catching up

Mom and I had a fun time shopping on Saturday. I got three new items that were all a size smaller than what I've been wearing for several years! Yippee! Now, not everything I tried on was a good fit in the smaller size, but I was happy that some smaller things fit well.

Tomorrow evening, I'm meeting up with a couple of ladies who are wanting to get back into running too. We're going to meet at Whole Foods and go from there. I talked to Tayler on the phone over the weekend, and she sounded nice. She lives in Chapel Hill,and Denise lives in Raleigh. Looking forward to meeting both of them.

Weekend Plans

Tomorrow, Mom and I plan to go shopping. Tomorrow evening, George and I plan to go to the Duke-NC Central basketball game. Should be fun!

The Rice Diet is still going well. This week marks the beginning of my 4th month on the Program! I'm still exercising for an hour every morning before breakfast and work, and feeling so much better between the diet and the exercise! I'm relieved to be off of both insulin and blood pressure medicine.

The Mountains

George and I had a fun time in the mountains this past weekend! We stayed in Hendersonville, and explored part of the state west of Asheville, down to Cherokee. We drove around Cherokee a little, stopped at a delightful park for lunch (at the recommendation of a man at the Visitors Center), and visited the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. It's a pretty touristy town, but I enjoyed it, nonetheless. Out of curiosity, we also drove into downtown Sylva, a quaint little town. George and I also enjoyed gem mining at Broad River Gem Mining, both on the way down and on the way back.

I miss that we didn't go on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but there just wasn't enough time. Perhaps next trip!

Although we'd planned to be away Friday to Sunday, Friday was a wash-out, rainy day, so we changed our reservations to Saturday-Monday. That worked out fine.

I took my Rice Diet meals with me, and boy, did I get tired out eating out of styrofoam! I'm glad I did it, though. I lost 2.5 lbs while I was gone! George took some healthy food from home as well, and I appreciated his company and support in eating. One night, we did go out to eat at China Palace in Asheville. I got steamed rice and vegetables, and the dish was yummy. It was nice to be served on china, to boot!

We saw some pretty scenery, and I took a number of pictures! I'll post them soon.

George and I make good travel partners, and I'm glad of that!

Going on vacation

Eventhough it's Thursday, today is my Friday at work! George and I are leaving for our long weekend vacation together after breakfast in the morning. We'd planned to go to the Outer Banks, but we're going to the NC mountains instead. We made reservations last night at our favorite hotel in Hendersonville, NC, and we're really looking forward to getting away together.

It'll be my first trip since starting the Rice Diet. I'm planning to take Rice Diet meals for the whole weekend. That'll make the food issue easy for me, but not so easy for George. We'll figure something out.

Preparing to Cook

Eventhough I'm still going to the Rice House for my Rice Diet meals, I find myself collecting recipes for things I'll be able to prepare and eat once I'm done at the Rice House. It's been an interesting search, and I'm looking forward to becoming a better cook. I've found quite a few cookbooks on Amazon.com that I'd love, but I'll have to choose! Perhaps I'll head to Barnes and Noble or Borders and actually take a look.

Meanwhile, I've started collecting yummy-looking recipes from various websites, and cutting/pasting them onto a couple of online cookbook websites, MyCookbook, and more recently, DesktopCookbook. Since I signed up for MyCookbook several years ago, they've added a limit to the number of recipes you can add, and now call that a free basic membership. To add more, I'd have to pay. I was glad to find DesktopCookbook, and am taking advantage of their resources now.

Dinner out

Supper at Bistro 64 went well last night. The salmon, steamed veggies and potatoes were all yummy, eventhough there was no seasoning! I enjoyed visiting with everyone, and Tina and Bubby were especially complimentary of how I look. The encouragement was nice. :-) The only downside was that we didn't get our entrees until after 9:00. I was relieved that I still lost .2 lbs when I got on the scales this morning.

Still hanging in there

So far, being insulin-free is going well! My blood sugars have ranged from 89 to 101, falling pretty close to normal. As I continue to lose weight, those numbers should improve. I'm amazed at how the Rice Diet and exercise have trasnformed my diabetes! And I'm thrilled to be free of injections for now. I'm glad to know I can self-inject when needed, but I really appreciate being able to take a break from it. I won't be taking my health for granted any time soon!

The official results from Saturday's Autism Ribbon Run were posted, and my gun time was 50:42, though my chip time was 50:09. I put myself near the back of the pack, as I know I'd get off to a slower start than most. The chip time started when I actually crossed the starting line., where the gun time started when the race started. My pace per mile was 16 minutes, 19 seconds.

The race was a pretty fun experience, and I'll likely run it again. The weather was great, and I liked the finish line, which was a decline for the last bit. There was a sign that read, 1/4 MILE TO GO. When I saw that, I noticed I could see the finish line ahead, and I was able to finish in a trot. :-) Timmy the Termidor Bug, about 6 feet of fur, was there at the finish line to give me a high five. LOL

I did miss hearing split times at the mile markers, especially since I didn't wear a watch. (Next time, I'll try to remember to wear one.)

My time in this 5K was 6 minutes faster than my last 5K back in April. Yay! Now I want to look for another 5K to work toward.

Thursday, I'm joining George's family at a favorite restaurant in Cary, NC, Bistro 64, formerly the Cosmopolitan. When I received the news from George about the family gathering, I was concerned that I might not be able to go because of my Rice Diet. I found the chef's address on the website, and emailed him yesterday about my dilemma. We've exchanged a couple of emails now, and he's been very accomodating! He's going to whip up some salmon, steamed vegetables and plain potatoes. I'm looking forward to seeing George's family and enjoying a meal out with them.

Another 5K Under My Belt!

I finished the Autism Ribbon Run in Raleigh on Saturday in 50 minutes, 45 seconds, 6 minutes faster than my last 5K back in April! I'm jazzed about the progress, and now I want to find another 5K to stretch toward.

Today is my first day of trying to go without insulin, but oral meds instead for my diabetes. (This is with the doctor's approval, of course!) I'm hoping things go well.

5K Road Race Tomorrow

I'm participating in the Autism Ribbon Run in Raleigh tomorrow morning. It'll be my first 5K since the Cary Road Race back in April, which I finished in 56 minutes, 45 seconds. I was the very last one to cross the finish line in that one. I'm shooting for improving my time in the race tomorrow, that's the most important thing to me. If I'm not last, that will be icing on the cake.

It's supposed to be cold in the morning! I'll have to warm up carefully.

American Cities That Best Fit Me

According to a quiz I took on Blogthings this morning, Honolulu and Miami tie as the best US cities for me. I could live with either one! The quiz asked questions about various things like work, weather, transportation, and learning and fitness opportunities. I wouldn't call the quiz incredibly scientific, but kinda fun, nonetheless. I think I'd enjoy any of the cities that made my list.

American Cities That Best Fit You:

65% Honolulu

65% Miami

60% Austin

60% San Diego

55% Atlanta

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

I'm a Joiner

I decided to join a local running club called the Carolina Godiva Track Club, and see where it leads. At the least, the monthly newsletters will offer some more information than I already have, especially about running at the local level. The club sponsors several weekly group training runs in the area, but right now the distance and pace of all the runs are out of my league. That tells me how far I have to go before I'm where I want to be, fitness-wise, which is a little mind-boggling right now. Oh, I know I'm making progress, but the carrot is still dangling pretty far ahead of me.

I have decided to do another 5K road race this weekend, the Autism Ribbon Run in Raleigh. I think that running in more local races will help me get to know other local runners, in addition to the running club. I've eyed several November races, and think I might try to do a 5K every month or so. Perhaps that's ambitious...we'll see how Saturday's race goes! When I participated in the Cary Road Race last April, it took me the rest of the weekend to recover, and I was sore into the following week. This weekend, I've got too much to do! Saturday night, George and I are joining our ERUUF Covenant Group to make and serve dinner at the homeless shelter. Sunday afternoon, George and I are meeting friends at the North Carolina State Fair.

From the Vault: Trip to Virginia, October 2004

This is one of my favorite pictures of George. We were visiting Natural Bridge, Virginia, in October of 2004, and stopped to take a break on a hike. It was a fun trip, which included sights around Lexington, VA, as well.

George and I enjoy travelling together. Later this month, we plan to go to the Outer Banks to celebrate our fourth anniversary. 

Weekend activities

Saturday night, George and I went to the Varsity Theatre in Chapel Hill, and saw the movie, "The Science of Sleep." I didn't recognize any of the actors, but it was nice to see some fresh faces. It was an interesting movie, not one I'd see again, but glad I saw it once. And it was a nice date night with George.

Most of the rest of the weekend, I exercised and relaxed. On Saturday I exercised twice, and overdid it a bit. Did lighter workouts yesterday and this morning to let my muscles catch up a little.

George and I enjoyed some down time together as well. With a busy week ahead, it was nice to chill out together.

Last evening I rented and watched "The Pelican Brief." It's one of my favorite repeat movies. I like the Denzel Washington-Julia Roberts combo, the scenes of New Orleans, and the fact that it's a John Grisham story. I haven't kept up with Grisham's later works, but I really enjoyed his earlier books.

From the Vault: Sliding Rock, North Carolina

This picture of me was taken in May 2004 by George during our Memorial Day trip to the North Carolina mountains. I like this picture because it really shows off Sliding Rock, a natural waterslide in a cold, cold creek! It's a state recreational area in Pisgah National Forest, equipped with two lifeguards at the bottom (in a lifequard stand) and a changing area with restrooms. I remember going to Sliding Rock as a camper in Brevard. It is a lot of fun, though I remember adjusting to the cold water a lot more quickly as a child.

George and I return to the North Carolina mountains at least once a year. We just love it! 

Plateau

I've hit a plateau with the weight loss, three days at the same weight! Rats! I talked with the doctor at the Rice Diet about it, and he said not the worry about it. My blood sugars are looking good, so I need to keep doing what I'm doing. He said it's probably not about the weight, but water retention, wearing heavier clothes, something like that. It's really frustrating, but I'm going to hang in there.

In other news, the Duke football team is playing against the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa tomorrow. I'm not even sure if Dad and Mom are going.

It's a rainy day here in Durham. Would love to be curled up on the couch next to George, with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate right now!

Good appointment

I enjoyed my appointment with the dietician yesterday. Her office was in the Endocrinology Clinic over in Duke South, which was convenient to work, and made sense long-term. I enjoyed telling her about the Rice Diet and showing her my weight loss results and blood work. Turns out she is also a certified diabetes educator. She had some good ideas about nutritional label reading and eating out, among other things. I would like to have another appointment with her later, after I've left the Rice Diet.

Learning better nutrition

This afternoon, I have an appointment with a Registered Dietician. The appointment was made before I started the Rice Diet, but I decided to go ahead and keep the appointment. Things I've read about diabetic health care suggest including a nutritionist or dietician on your health care team. Eventhough I know what I'm eating for the forseeable future, I'd like to meet with a dietician and see what it's like. It would be nice to develop a professional relationship with someone who can give good nutritional advice.

I was just looking at the American Dietetic Association website, and it's can be challenging to go through an accredited dietetic program in college, at least for the science-challenged like me! Several science courses required, not surprising. In a way I wish I could do it, though, take the courses and all. I've become much more interested in the chemistry of food and how it affects the body and health, since landing in the hospital back in July. Thankfully, the internet has lots of information, but that can also be a bad thing!

Happy Birthday, Chubby Checkers!

Today is Chubby Checker's birthday! He's 65 years old. In honor of his famous song, "The Twist," here's a list of songs (in no particular order) that make me happy when I hear them:




1. "The Twist," by Chubby Checkers


2. "Crocodile Rock," by Elton John


3. "September," by Earth, Wind, and Fire


4. "Old Days," by Chicago


5. "Your Smiling Face," by James Taylor


6. "Mockingbird," by Carly Simon and James Taylor


7. "Joy to the World," by Three Dog Night


8. "Dancing in the Streets," by Martha and the Vandellas


9. "Respect," by Aretha Franklin


10. "New Attitude," by Patti LaBelle

11. "Pink Cadillac" by Aretha Franklin

Cross country trail

Yesterday after dinner at the Rice House, I walked on the Duke Cross Country Trail for half an hour. It's soooo pretty there, lots of trees, a creek, and woodland sounds. It's a 5K trail in Duke Forest, which also goes by part of the Duke Golf Course at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club. I'm looking forward to being able to run the whole thing. There are some good hills on the course, a great workout and training for 5K and 10K road races.

Football

It was a beautiful day for a football game! I LOVE fall weather, and it was a wonderful day, weather-wise, here in Durham. But alas, it was not a pretty day on the Duke football field. The Blue Devils lost by 37 points. :-( I feel like one day the program will find the winning ticket, but Duke is now 0-3. Not there yet.

Weekend plans

Mom dropped off 2 extra tickets to the Duke-UVA football game that she and Dad won't be using tomorrow. I'd planned to stay close to home and clean tomorrow, but going to the game, for a while anyway, sounds like a nice way to spend part of the afternoon. The weather forecast looks great! Dad says that while the University of Virginia is expected to win, the spread is only 6 points, so we'll see how Duke does.

George and I will probably explore apartments in the area Sunday afternoon, after going to church at ERUUF in the morning.

Meanwhile, I need to continue working on my own apartment. I'm on a mission to clear the clutter, seen and unseen. (I must include clutter in the closets and drawers....that counts too! If I have to pack or toss it come next June when I move, I'm wanting to get a head start on it now.)

One Size Fits All

Last night, Mom brought me a nightshirt she bought me on their recent trip to Las Vegas. The tag inside said, "One Size Fits All." Well, guess what. I tried it on after she left, and it sure doesn't fit me yet! It's tight from my chest to my tail. *sigh* I'm so looking forward to being able to fit into normal clothes, and shop at normal stores rather than plus size stores.

Food obsession?

Okay, I think I've gotten a little obsessed with food.

Eventhough I'm still on the Rice Diet, and eating my meals at the Rice House, I've been scanning the web for area restaurants online, to see if there's anything I'll be able to eat once I'm away from the Rice House. I get a kick out of finding menus online. Asian restaurants may be my best bet overall, since several offer steamed rice as well as steamed vegetables. Today I looked up the menu for Red Robin, which is new to Durham. I used to enjoy the nearby High Point location a lot when I lived in Greensboro. Now, Red Robin is known for their burgers. I did find a grilled salmon burger on the menu, which could be interesting. There's also a veggie burger, and a vegetarian rice bowl dish on the entree side.

I am planning to eat at home most of the time, so I'm collecting recipes when I can. There are a lot of recipes out there on the internet, so I'm leaning heavy toward vegetarian and vegan ideas. One website I discovered today is My Vegetarian Recipe of the Day. I saw a yummy looking veggie jambalaya recipe on there, which I saved to an online cookbook I've created at My Cookbook on the internet. I've also added some low-sodium and veggie cookbooks to my wishlist on Amazon, so that I can remember the cookbooks I've come across that look good to me. I'm really looking forward to honing my cooking skills.

Next goal hit!

This morning at Rice Diet check-in, I found out I'm down 30 lbs! I'm excited about that, especially since, added to the weight I lost before I started the Rice Diet, I'm now down 50 lbs. Funny, I don't really see that much loss when I look at myself, but the scales don't lie. Some of my clothes are getting looser, but not enough to buy new clothes yet. One would think I'd be there already, but I bet the fact that most of my clothes are "stretchy" has something to do with it.

I got some extra sleep last night, and it's amazing how much more refreshed I feel today. George is on a kick to get to bed earlier on a regular basis, and I think he's on to something.

Food cravings

I was just reading the most recent journal entry for Steve Vaught, the man who walked across America last year to lose weight. He's back home now, and in his online journal entry from last week, he talks about how eating comfort food now makes you "feel better" in the short term, while eating responsibly doesn't always have that immediate "feel good" physical response. That's something I need to deal with as I cope with daily weigh-ins at the Rice House. The scales may not always do what I'd like, even with staying on the program and exercising. I need to keep the end goal in mind, even when that seems a long way away.

Rosh Hashanah

This morning, George and I joined his family at the synagogue in Raleigh for Rosh Hashanah. We didn't stay for the whole service, but got there in time for part of the readings, the blowing of the shofar, and the sermon. The new rabbi's sermon message was very good, and was a good speaker.

We enjoyed spending time with George's family Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Friday night was for supper, and I took my Rice Diet food with me, heated it up there and put it on the plate. Saturday afternoon was a lunch affair, but we hit it after everyone had eaten, but before anyone had left. Just right for me! It was great to visit with everyone.

Food choices

I received an email post from a Yahoo health-related group I belong to, and the poster mentioned that she was eating Chick-Fil-A while composing her email. It was interesting that she mentioned it and said she could eat anything she wanted, as long as it was in moderation. That statement made me realize how my thought processes have changed in the last six weeks. I used to agree with that sentiment, but I don't anymore. There are some foods that are triggers for me. I don't think I could eat just a little bit of some foods, so I'd rather just avoid them whenever possible now! Of course, I'm still eating at the Rice House, which makes it easier for now. Later, though, I think I'll be trying to stay away from meat and dairy as much as possible, and sweets and desserts--just don't need them! Not worth the calories. If I'm in a social situation where I have to eat something or somewhere I wouldn't pick myself, I'll just make the best choices I can, and eat at my new normal the rest of the time.

I'm looking at the Chick-Fil-A website now, and the nutritional information is enlightening! The classic chicken sandwich with a wheat bun 1370 mg of sodium, more sodium than I have in a whole day right now!The chicken salad sandwich has 880 mg of sodium, also more than I have in a day. A chicken filet without the bun has 990 mg of sodium--guess what! Even the Chicken Nuggets have more sodium than I'm eating in a day. I don't want to spend multiple days of sodium allowance at Chick-Fil-A! Not worth it!

TV-watching habits

I find that my TV watching habits have changed with my new weight-loss and exercise routine. I'm just not that interested in TV anymore, overall, and feel like I need to make higher quality choices in my limited time. Last night I decided to skip my night-time workout to rest (well, I WAS really tired!) and watch the second episode of the new "Survivor" season. I've rally enjoyed "Survivor" in the past, but I'm not hooked yet this season---and maybe I don't need to be! Anyway, that's what VCRs are for. I wish I'd taped it and gone on the gym, even for a light workout.

Outer Banks

George and I are planning a trip for our anniversary in late October, and are thinking about the Outer Banks. I've been doing some research on the internet, and it's transformed into a multi-sheet Excel spreadsheet! It'll be interesting to see how the spreadsheet and our trip develop. I may end of sharing the list with Triangle Friends, the Yahoo group I moderate.

Meanwhile, I'm glad to see another season of The Biggest Loser starting, especially since I've made such progress on my own diet and exercise program.

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I came across this language quiz on Blogthings, and found it amusing! It reminded me of a conversation I had with my family a few weeks ago about the correct way to pronounce the word "caramel." I'm okay with caramel (in MY opinion, anyway!), but apparently I still have a lot of Dixie in my vocabulary!

Your Linguistic Profile:

45% General American English

40% Dixie

10% Yankee

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Football

I decided to pick a pro football team and try to learn more about football. In college football, I pull for Duke, but they've won few games in recent years. I will always pull for them, as long as they have a clean program, but....I decided to broaden my football horizons a bit! So, I picked the closest professional team to me, the Carolina Panthers. I watched part of their TV game yesterday afternoon. Just like the Duke Blue Devils, they have yet to post a win this season. :-( The Panthers have been a decent team in recent years, so I'm hopeful they'll turn things around. )

I have loved football season for as long as I remember. I love being outdoors on a crisp fall afternoon cheering for my favorite team! I used to enjoy the occasional tailgating, but will be on the lookout for healther food choices in the future.

Increasing exercise

George and I got up at 7 AM this morning to go to the gym! I exercised for an hour on the elliptical, and was wiped out but felt good. When I got to the check-in at the Rice House afterward, there was a note in the computer system from the doctor that he wants me to double my exercise efforts! Whew! So I'll be heading back to the gym tonight. I think I'll try to do my cadio workouts before work, and strength training at night, and see how that works.

After breakfast, George and I went to ERUUF. It had been a while since we'd been, so it was good to go and see people as well as soak up the service. I really like the new minister.

Feeling good

This morning, I got up and worked out a full hour before breakfast, as George and I have plans tonight to go to a public stargazing that the Duke Physics Department coordinates. (Looking forward to that!) It feels good to have all that exercise out of the way, in case I don't make it back to the gym tonight.

At check-in this morning, I was down in weight again (yippee!), but I thought my fasting blood suagrs would be a little lower for all the exercise. I'll stay focused, though, because all the exercise will help in the long run. Need to keep losing the weight!

I sat with Carrie from Portland at breakfast this morning, and we had a wonderful laugh together! :-) It was a great way to start the day!

I have an appointment with my primary care physician this afternoon. I'm looking forward to the appointment, as I think she'll be pleased with my progress.

Insights

This morning during my workout (yes, I made it tot he gym in time for a 45-minute workout on the elliptical), it really hit me that the temporary pleasure of straying off the Rice Diet is rarely worth the setback and hard work to recover. It's really important for me to stay focused here, because getting the weight off is key to my diabetes improving. Taking insulin is important for now, but it's a drag. I will do it faithfully as long as I need it, but I would love for my health to improve to the point that I can stop the injections.

At breakfast, I sat with four people I didn't know yet. The Ricers are a bit of a transient group, people are always coming for various times and returning home, so the dynamics are changing. The people I sat in classes with during my first week are leaving soon, if they're even still around, so that bonding experience is gone. I still try to glean what I can from others at meal time. One of my favorite questions at supper is, "Did you attend any of the classes today?" I try not to be judgemental, but ask for information's sake.

Whew!

I was relieved to step on the scales this morning and see I'd lost some weight! It's been an "interesting" few days on the Rice Diet, and I was starting to get a little discouraged. I'm feeling better about things today, though. Of course the weight loss helped. I also cut my workout short last night and went home and called a friend to catch up. She ran the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach over Labor Day Weekend, and I loved hearing about it! Hearing the story of her experience made me want to do the same thing!

Reading and such

Well, I decided to put The Sound and the Fury aside for now and concentrate on the several unfinished books I have around the apartment. After struggling through the first several sections, I decided I don't have the patience for Faulkner just yet. With my focus on the Rice Diet and exercise, I feel the need for a different kind of reading pleasure. I hate to call it fluff that I'm looking for, as I'm still searching for a new favorite book. I'm looking for a better diversion than TV (which still makes me want to eat while I watch), but a less intense diversion than Faulker for the moment. :D

One of the books I'm working on finishing is The Sign of the Book, by John Dunning. The protagonist is a former police detective turned antiquarian book dealer. Since I love mysteries and books, I've enjoyed this particular run of books by Dunning a lot.

In other news, I worked out twice yesterday with minimal results for my weigh-in today, but I have high hopes for tomorrow's weigh-in. I do get discouraged sometimes with the daily weigh-ins, but I appreciate the close monitor and tracking of my blood pressure and fasting blood sugars. The weight will continue to come off as long as I stay on track.

One of the ladies at the Rice House, Jeannie, is leaving in a couple days, so she's been going around taking pictures, and getting names and addresses. She's been here for 3-4 months, so I can understand. It's a great place to network and make friends, when you're eating most of your meals with the same folks. I miss eating lunch there during the work week.

Jeannie and a fellow blogger, Melissa, have inspired me to keep my digital camera in my bag. Now I need to get the courage to use it more. That sounds funny, I know. I would like to chronicle my life a bit more fully, though. I've been thinking of doing the scrapbook thing as a creative outlet, and pictures would help with that. Love the digital camera, for being able to take pictures and edit/delete as I wish.

Another early morning workout

I had another good pre-breakfast workout this morning. I'm proud of myself for getting up early this morning (being Monday and all) and going to the gym. My fasting blood sugar and blod sugar were really good at morning check-in, so I know it's helping. My weight was a little up this morning, but I know what that's all about. I got off the Rice Diet wagon after my workout last night and picked up a grilled veggie burrito from Qdoba in Chapel Hill. It was delightful, but I was sorry I got it afterward. Guilt aside, the edge has been taken off my desire for illicit food, and I'm back on track now.

I checked Qdoba's website this morning for nutrional information, and will make an even better choice next time I go there...which will be a while! I was first introduced to Qdoba while working in Winston-Salem, and then Greensboro got one. I'm glad to see they've expanded to Chapel Hill and Raleigh, and would be happy to see them open up a franshise in Durham. Of course, there would be competition from Cosmic Cantina.

Apartment hunting

This afternoon, George and I went to babdy Talia's first birthday party at Phil and Heather's house. I took my lunch with me, though I missed eating Heather's yummy spread. I want to be able to eat like normal people, but I guess I'm going to have to redefine normal for me. I know that yummy, healthy foods are out there.

On the way home, George and I stopped and looked at a couple of apartment complexes. It was an interesting experience. We liked both places, but we liked the first one the best. It has a better fitness room, a nice balcony, fireplaces in 2nd and 3rd floor apartments, and cheaper rent. Both are in the Research Triangle Park area, one with a Morrisville address (the 1st one we liked better) and the other with a Raleigh address. We will continue looking.

George and I are going to work out soon (this evening). I gained a tenth of a pound according to the scales this morning, so I'm going for a loss in the morning. So far, I'm down 24.1 lbs, looking forward to hitting the 25 lb. mark.

More weight loss

After a week of little significant movement in my weight, I finally made some headway, down 2.7 lbs since yesterday, and down 24.2 since August8. I stopped to talk to Dr. Neelon about my progress, and he suggested taking my bedtime insulin down by 2 more units, yay! He's pleased with my progress, and showed me some nifty graphs charting my progress. My hemaglobin A1c is charting the perfect course, and he says that if I continue doing what I'm doing, that figure (which charts an average of my blod sugars over about three previous months) should be at normal in about 70 days! That should mean no more insulin, which would be fantastic!

I completed my third pre-breakfast workout of the week this morning, and I think that is helong too.

Morning workout

This morning, for the second time this week, I got up and worked out before breakfast. It felt good...once I got going! ;-) I hope I can continue with the morning, and hopefully twice daily workouts.

I'm glad the weekend is here, and I'm hopeful about getting some rest, as well as some things done.

Last night I spent about an hour cleaning my apartment before my workout, and it felt great. I went through a pile of mail and papers, and threw a bunch of stuff away. I would love to get rid of the rest of the clutter in my apartment.

Sunday, George and I are going to Phil and Heather's house in Apex for Talia's first birthday party. Looking forward to that.

Busy yesterday

Yesterday I ended up working out twice, 35 minutes in the morning, before work, and another 30 minutes after my Junior League meeting. I was exhausted by the time I got home (around 10), though it was midnight before I got to bed. Today I didn't get up early as planned to go work out. I needed sleep!

I was down almost a pound this morning, 22.4 lbs in all. Tonight I'll try a little less insulin before bed, at the doctor's request. :-)

Morning workout

This morning I woke up early and got a 35 minute workout in at the gym. It feels great to have part of my workout already under my belt, especially since I have a Junior League meeting tonight.

It's interesting at the Rice House these days, being an old timer of sorts. People have left and new faces have joined the program. Some of the new faces are actually old timers who are returning, and they've been interested to hear I'm starting my second month on the program. I enjoy hearing their stories, and telling them mine.

George and I decided this morning that it's high time we went out on a date. Our lives have gotten so busy lately!

Busy weekend

I enjoyed this Labor Day weekend, but I wish I could have one more day, just to hang out in bed and read, rest, and just be a little lazy! But alas, I'm back at work, and will continue my workout schedule this evening.

We enjoyed the cookout (for Phil's 30th birthday) at Lake Crabtree on Sunday, though I was craving a hot dog for the rest of the day! Yesterday I got a manicure as a treat to myself for resisting the temptation. :-) Mom took me shoe shopping yesterday, to boot, and now I've got two new pairs of shoes to sport around in.

I ended my first month of the Rice Diet yesterday down 21.5 lbs! Can't wait to hit the 25 lb mark, perhaps later this week.

I've signed up for an online course though Barnes and Noble's B&N University called "Simplify Your Life Now." I hope it'll help me learn strategies for feeling less hectic. The book for the course looks like it'll be an interesting read. Assignments start today.

Weekend update

George and I have had a pretty busy weekend. Last night we went to the Duke-Richmond football game. The evening weather was delightful (I can tell that fall weather is sneaking in, and I love it!), but Duke lost 13-0, a dissappointing start to teh season.

Today we went to Lake Crabtree in Cary, for Phil's 30th birthday party/cookout. It was a lovely day, and the food looked and smelled yummy! I took my Rice Diet lunch, which tasted fine, but I'm still feeling deprived of the hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato salad.

I have managed to exercise this weekend some this weekend, but not as much as usual. I missed working out on Friday altogether, but got in for 30 minutes yesterday. I'll work out more this evening. I'm still feeling deprived, but I need to get over it.

On the positive side, my hard work with the Rice Diet is paying off. I've lost 20.9 lbs so far, and the end of my first month is tomorrow. That's very encouraging, but I still have a long way to go.

Almost at another goal

This morning at check-in, I was down 19.9 lbs! If my body reacts in normal fashion, I wil stay the same tomorrow morning, or gain some of it back. Two days ago I was down 1.7 lbs, yesterday I gained 7/10 of a lb back, and today I was down 1.8 lbs from yesterday!

Meanwhile, I've started reading The Sound and the Fury. It's been a little hard to follow so far, but I hope to sink my teeth into it this weekend.